Imagine a quiet diplomatic compound in the heart of Dhaka. Behind its walls, Pakistani officers plot in secret.
They groom radicals, cashing on their gullibility. They fuel unrest. They eye India’s borders. They want to avenge both Bengalis and Indians for the massive loss in 1971. This is no spy thriller. This is the reality of the ISI’s DHAKA CELL, operating boldly and safely from the confines of the Pakistan High Commission.
Bangladesh is burning again thanks to ISI. Violence erupts over elections. Minorities face attacks. Youth radicalize fast. At the center stands Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Its Dhaka Cell leads the charge. They provide Gen Z with money, muscle, and membership—reports from Indian intelligence paint a grim picture.
The cell aims to destabilize Bangladesh. It targets India’s northeast and West Bengal next. Pushing the huge Bangladeshi population through the fence to undermine India.
This is not new. Pakistan never fully accepted Bangladesh’s independence. The 1971 Liberation War scarred relations. India helped birth the new nation. Pakistan lost half its land. Resentment lingers. The ISI has meddled in Bangladeshi affairs before. Now, it thrives.
Roots of Enmity: Historical Pakistani Involvement
Pakistan’s interference in Bangladesh dates to 1971. West Pakistan oppressed the East. Bengali demands for autonomy grew. The army cracked down brutally on alleged misdemeanours against the indigenous. Millions fled to India via the fence. India intervened. The war was swift. Bangladesh emerged free.
Pakistan struggled to reconcile. Diplomatic ties resumed in 1976. But the ISI saw an opportunity.
In the 1990s and 2000s, it backed insurgents. Groups like ULFA in India’s northeast found sanctuary. Arms shipments flowed through Chittagong port. One 2004 seizure uncovered Chinese weapons for rebels.
Under the BNP-Jamaat governments, ISI flourished. Jamaat-e-Islami, with pro-Pakistan roots, aided radicals: HuJI-B, an ISI-linked group, trained militants. Bangladesh became a terror hub.
Sheikh Hasina changed that. From 2009, she cracked down. She extradited insurgents to India. She banned extremist outfits. Trials for 1971 war crimes targeted Jamaat leaders. Pakistan’s influence waned. Hasina stood firm against ISI playgrounds.
The Turning Point: Hasina’s Fall & Yunus’s Rise
August 2024 shattered the status quo. Student protests over quotas exploded. They turned anti-government. Hasina fled to India. Chaos followed. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge as interim leader.
Yunus promised reform. He vowed fair elections. But stability slipped. Violence against minorities spiked. Extrajudicial killings continued. Radical groups resurfaced.
Pakistan pounced. Ties thawed rapidly. High-level visits surged. Pakistani generals arrived in Dhaka. Bangladeshi officers visited Rawalpindi. Trade resumed. Direct shipping links opened.
Yunus met Pakistani leaders warmly. Visa rules eased for officials. Military cooperation deepened. Pakistan offered training and arms.
Critics see a shift. Hasina balanced India and others. Yunus pivots toward Islamabad. Policies favor Pakistan. Cargo inspections relaxed. Entry for Pakistanis simplified.
Bangladesh worsened. Unrest persists. Elections delayed. Jamaat gains ground. Youth radicalize via extremist networks. ISI exploits the vacuum.
The Dhaka Cell: ISI’s Bold Return
The crown jewel is the Dhaka Cell. Established in late 2025, it operates from the Pakistan High Commission. Reports detail its setup after General Sahir Shamshad Mirza’s October visit.
The cell starts small. One brigadier leads. Two colonels assist. Four majors handle ops. Navy and Air Force officers join. They meet Bangladesh’s intelligence chiefs. Joint mechanisms form.
Goals are clear. Radicalize youth. Back Jamaat and allies. Delay or rig elections. Create chaos.
Recent violence is linked to the cell. A student leader’s murder sparked riots. Intelligence blames orchestration. Aim: postpone polls. Favor pro-Pakistan forces.
The cell mirrors past efforts. A similar unit in Sri Lanka targeted South India. NIA busted it in 2014. Now, Bangladesh hosts one.
ISI grooms terrorists. It pushes infiltrators across borders. The eyes of West Bengal polls in 2026—stress India’s security.
Narcotics fund ops. Dawood Ibrahim links resurface. Camps train the Rohingya and locals. Targets: India’s northeast.
A Field Day for ISI: Chaos & Opportunity
Under Yunus, ISI enjoys freedom. Hasina blocked it. Now, doors open. Intelligence sharing grows. Cover for spies.
Bangladesh suffers. Economy strains. Minorities flee attacks. Vigilantism rises. Reforms stall.
Yunus faces pressure. Army tensions simmer. Elections loom in early 2026. But unrest threatens fairness.
Pakistan dreams bigger. Reports suggest a defense pact modeled on the Saudi deal. Mutual defense clause. Intelligence drills. Possible nuclear hints.
Saudi pact deters foes. Pakistan claims nuclear cover. Bangladesh seeks similar. It alarms India. A nuclear shadow over the east?
Islamabad pushes fast. Before elections, change leaders. BNP might win—less pro-Pakistan than Jamaat.
Eyes on the Future
The Dhaka Cell symbolizes revival. Pakistan reclaims lost ground. It uses diplomacy as cover. Radicalism spreads.
India watches closely. Borders tighten. Alerts rise. NSA Doval raised concerns directly.
Bangladesh stands at a crossroads. Will it slide into extremism? Or reclaim stability?
The ISI bets on chaos. It grooms a new generation. It plots against India.
History repeats. 1971 echoes in today’s shadows. Bangladesh paid dearly for freedom once. Now, foreign hands pull strings again.
The world watches Dhaka as its law protectors handed over minorities to be lynched, while Peace hangs in the balance. One cell in a high commission holds sway.
Change demands vigilance from Dhaka’s streets to Delhi’s halls. The shadow lengthens. But light can break through.
- Group Captain MJ Augustine Vinod (Retd), VSM, is a former Mirage 2000 fighter pilot, air accident investigator, and co-founder of AMOS Aerospace. He writes on emerging defense technologies, AI in warfare, and India’s aviation future.
- This is an Opinion Article. Views Personal Of The Author
- He tweets at @mjavinod
